Mina's Obsession
by Final Saturn
Summary: Mina remembered the Moon Kingdom long before the other senshi. She is not a cheerful, bubbly blonde but a teenager with more feelings and memories than she can handle. Mental Connections Prequel


Title: Mina's Obsession

Rating: PG13

Pairings: Mina/Kunzite and Mina/Andrew

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon copyright 2001 Naoko Takeuchi/Kondansha, Toei Animation. All rights reserved. Sailor Moon characters and their respective names are trademarks of TOEI Animation. Licensed by DIC Entertainment, L.P.

Summary: Mina remembered what happened on the Moon Kingdom long before the other senshi. Despite what people see, Mina is not a cheerful, bubbly blonde. She is a teenager with more feelings and memories than she can handle. This is a prequel to Mental Connections.

Author's Notes: Reviewers wanted to know more about the Mina in Mental Connections, so here she is, as angsty as you please. I have a few comments. I know I changed Venus's appearance in the series. I prefer the name Kunzite to Malachite. Finally, I never liked Rita.

"You complete idiot!" Serena Tsukino seethed. Her face was the red of a tomato. "Can't you say anything nice?" Her arms were ramrod straight, her hands balled into fists next to her skirt.

"Of course I can, Meatball, just not to you," Darien Shields replied, looking as calm as ever. As if to prove his lack of concern for her or to drive his point home, he turned back to the counter without another word and returned to stirring creamer into his coffee.

There proceedings were watch with worry by one Mina Aino. Did the two really hate each other? It was really impossible to tell. Admittedly, they shouted insults back and forth, but they did it on a regular basis and from very close range. The close range was what she expected and hoped for; the insults she prayed were a temporary set back.

"Ooh," Serena growled, stomping over to the booth Mina sat in. "If murder wasn't illegal..." Her face still burned as she sat down.

"Just kiss him, and get it over with," Mina grumbled at her. Attempting to force Serena to realize her attraction to Darien had gotten her no where so far, but there was really no other way to go about pushing them together when they seemed to dislike each other so. She could hardly tell them the truth.

"Mina!" Serena let out a noise of disgust as she glared at her. "That is never going to happen," she told Mina firmly. This conversation went the same way every time.

How wrong she was. "Just wait until she remembers," Mina thought evilly. She would get Serena and Darien together one way or another. There was enough joy in their past lives to survive the horrors they had ultimately faced. In the back of her mind she questioned if their present loathing could stand in the way of destiny, but destiny was set in stone, right? On the outside Mina flashed a sly grin at her friend. "That's what you say, but not what you mean. How can you ignore the fact that Darien is gorgeous?" Serena thunked her head on the table.

"Really, you shouldn't fight with Darien so often," Amy Anderson commented. She took off her glasses and folded them neatly, resting them on top of her biology book.

"Me? He starts it!" Serena protested. Though Serena played just as much a role as Darien, she never took credit for her involvement. Certainly, Darien picked on her first, but as yet Mina had been unable to convince Serena to walk away when he did it. She had lost track of the number of times she had attempted to convince her of the "when a third-grader likes a girl, he picks on her" theory.

Amy rolled her eyes. "I have to go. There's a test tomorrow," she announced, looking pointedly at Serena.

"She's right!" Lita Kino realized, a slight panic crossing her face. She didn't care much for school but was worried about a test? That was Mina's Amazonian friend for you, as spur of the moment as ever.

"Shouldn't you go study?" Raye Hino demanded of Serena, giving her a look that any passerby might have called holier-than-thou. Mina watched this as passively as she was able. Sailor Mars had been giving the group trouble, which had unfortunately been echoing in Mercury and Jupiter lately.

"But Raye-chan-" Serena began, only to stop dead at Raye's glare. "All right but only because failing annoys everyone other than me." Serena muttered the last few words under her breath. The three girls left shortly to study.

"I suppose you'd like me to go. You look troubled, again," Raye noted with a perception that was constantly plaguing Mina. Why didn't the priestess apply it to helpful things, like solving the Serena/Darien problem or realizing that Sailor Moon was the true leader?

Mina turned to look into her eyes, the eyes of a normal teenager. She sighed inwardly. Raye wasn't going to help her any time soon. Most of what Raye worried about was school, boys, and what to do with her life. Granted, she was a senshi, too, but it only required so much of her time. Mina envied the other girl; the blonde had many more complex things to worry about. She was trying to bring everything and everyone together to be as strong as in the Silver Millennium. It was like the world of those around her rested on her shoulders.

The blonde smiled cheerfully at her friend. "Looks can be confusing, Raye." Using an incorrect metaphor always threw her friends off topic. Mina was surprisingly good at distraction.

Raye's eyes seemed to probe hers. Mina knew that Raye sensed that she hid something. "You meant deceiving," the priestess corrected. She continued to stare at Mina for a moment after this word, as though implying that the other girl was the embodiment of the word, or maybe Mina was just becoming paranoid. "I'll see you later. I should go help Grandpa."

When Raye was out of earshot, Mina sighed aloud. She was loath to be so cheerful, but she was the Senshi of Love. She couldn't act the way she felt, or everyone would know that she hid something. She didn't like to pretend stupidity when she was actually intelligent. It annoyed her to be corrected by her friends about what she already knew. "It's just to add to the dumb blonde image," she always told herself. "Perfect for Hollywood." She rolled her eyes.

"Hey there, Mina," a pleasant voice greeted. "Alone again?" Andrew slid into the seat across from her. She nodded. "Something on your mind?"

Mina looked into Andrew's concerned green eyes. She liked Andrew. He was sweet and kind and attractive; that's why she chose him as her pretend crush. She had confided in him before, and he had listened patiently and consoled her. At the moment, though, Andrew was not the person she wanted to see. In fact, he may have been the last person she wanted to see. She smiled sweetly at the man. "Nothing important, Andrew."

"If you're sure," he replied. He put his hands on the table and looked at her levelly for a few more moments before pushing himself up. As he walked past her, he patted her shoulder. "If you need to talk, I'll always be here to listen."

Mina nodded. She couldn't trust herself to look at him, afraid tears would fill her eyes. Andrew had sounded so much like him just then. Had he said the exact same thing to her once after she had ranted to him about her wild princess running off to Earth all the time. Tears indeed began to fill her eyes. Blindly, she stood and ran out of the Crown, not focusing on where she was going.

Andrew was nice and cute, but Mina couldn't escape the fact that Andrew wasn't him. She really tried to make herself like Andrew, but his image always changed. His eyes grew paler and turned blue, his hair lengthened and lightened, and his body became hard and muscular.

"It's not fair, damn it!" Mina shouted mentally. Why did only she have to remember? Why did she, the Senshi of Love, have to suffer where the others did not? Why did only she face the pain of betrayal? Sometimes Mina caught herself searching their gazes for a hint that they might have recalled the past. She never saw a change. What hurt her most was their forgotten love. She caught herself there. Of course remembering would hurt them, too, but they would be better adjusted, she thought. They could deal with the loss of love. With their help, she could, too.

The moment Artemis found her was when she remembered everything. She became Sailor V to be able to fight crime and hide her true form of Sailor Venus until the right time. For two years, she had fought petty crimes. She was hit with a shock at seeing her first youma, but she knew where it came from.

As Sailor V she had watched and trained Sailor Moon from afar. Artemis gave Luna information on a need to know basis and lied about their location. It was with great relief that she saw Sailor Mercury transform; her princess was no longer alone. As soon as Mars and Jupiter appeared, Sailor Venus showed up to help them.

It was then that Mina truly realized that they did not remember. Before it hadn't been real; it had been strange to her that they would not know what she knew. Why couldn't they remember? Sailor Mars was the start of her problems.

Sailor Venus had cringed inside when she saw Mars' hate of Jadeite. Mercury hadn't so much as batted an eyelash when Zoicite showed up. Jupiter had been different. Nephrite had had a relationship with Serena's friend, Molly. Only Mina had realized that he saw the same inner strength and caring in her that Lita possessed. As Mina witnessed his death with great sorrow, she could almost swear that she saw Sailor Jupiter's eyes fill with tears for a moment, tears not for Molly's heartbreak.

Mina sniffed and pulled her wrist across her eyes. She looked around with dark amusement at where she had come. She was on the outskirts of the Juuban shopping district in the exact spot where she had seen first Kunzite. She came across him as he was floating about in the air, a trait in the Dark Kingdom generals that grated on the nerves of the other senshi. He had just been observing the trickle of people, who seemed unable to see him. He turned and looked straight into her eyes. She had known that he wondered why she could see him. Then, he was gone.

He had always been there for her in their past life. Kunzite, as both head of Prince Endymion's guard and her true love. As a princess, Mina had been flirtatious and cheerful, but underneath her exterior she had been dutiful and protective of her princess. At present, she wondered why Artemis never noticed the fact that she had regained her past attitude and realized that she was always hiding something.

Upon following her princess to Earth on occasion, she came face to face with Kunzite, who refused to leave his prince's side. It was one of the reasons that she immediately liked him; they had something in common, even if it was their mischievous charges. Though they had fallen deeply in love, she had to wait for Princess Serenity to announce her relationship with Endymion. Her fellow senshi awaited the same for their lovers. Interaction between the Earth and Moon was strictly forbidden, but Mina knew that Queen Serenity would bend any rule for her daughter.

Before Serenity had so much as considered it, Jadeite, who had always been the quickest tempered of his comrades, turned on his prince to join the Dark Kingdom. He said that Serenity had bewitched Endymion in order to pull the earth under the Moon Kingdom's rule. Nephrite and Zoicite followed soon, and Mina sensed how distant Kunzite had become. Finally, he, too, switched sides to the Dark Kingdom. That day her heart had broken in two.

It was too short a time before the Dark Kingdom attacked the Moon Kingdom, and she had to face him again but this time in battle. She did her duty in protecting her princess. She saw Mars fall to the hands of Jadeite, Jupiter to Nephrite, and Mercury to Zoicite. It left only she and Kunzite. She fought through strength of will, refusing to let him attack her princess without a fight. That, she knew, was why she fell so quickly; her heart could never be in it. The last memory she had of her past life was the slight flicker of emotion in his cold eyes as she slid off the blade of his sword while whispering his name.

Mina squared her shoulders against her unseen foes: her mind and heart. She tried to hate him, but no matter how hard she tried, she always failed it. The only task she was incapable of was hating someone she had known to be good. Her legs crossed, and Mina shifted on the half wall she had sat down, leaning back against the building it connected to. She looked around, almost expecting Kunzite to appear. She blinked back tears when she caught herself hoping again.

She felt warmth on her forehead. Mina whipped out a compact from her purse and found with surprise that the symbol of Venus was blazing there. Quickly, she scanned for anyone who might see it, but everyone's eyes seemed to slide right past her. She put her fingers up to touch it, and power blazed through her. Her vision swirled and became shadowy. She was falling into darkness. Suddenly, she remembered that it had happened before. She had blocked it out somehow, an attempt to relieve her mind, she supposed.

Steady on her own two feet once more, Mina took in her surroundings. She remembered, now. This was the Dark Kingdom. She had followed Kunzite here last time and forgotten. She squinted her eyes as they tried to adjust to the dimness. There. Her eyes rested on the gray, hunched form sitting on the sleeping pallet. His back was to her, and he seemed to be focusing intently on nothing. "Kunzite," she heard herself whisper. She had done it before.

The man leapt up and whirled around. "Reveal yourself," he stated, his eyes searching the shadows where Mina stood. Fearlessly, she stepped forward into the light, if it could be called that. "Who are you?" he challenged, his eyes raking her body appreciatively.

"A figment of your memory," she replied sulkily. How did she get herself into this? And schoolgirl uniforms were highly overrated. If only Kunzite would care if she told him.

His eyes glinted. "You have no right here, mortal."

"Nor have you, mortal," she taunted, refusing to take her eyes from his. She was not a mortal, though she supposed he was right that she was more mortal than he was. She didn't know what the Dark Kingdom had made him.

Kunzite shifted his eyes away first. "I am no mortal. You are in the Dark Kingdom and should not anger the inhabitants here."

"You almost sound like you care," Mina commented, her eyes glistening. She knew he was right that she shouldn't be there. She hadn't meant to come; she didn't know how she'd done it exactly.

Kunzite's eyes moved back to hers. "I care for no one," he stated. Though he stood at attention, his hand had slackened on his sword hilt.

"Now," she added for him. He cared for no one. That thought and the empty tone would keep her awake for weeks.

He stared at her for a few moments. It was like she was actually getting through to him. "What right have you, girl, to come here and insult me? How did you get here?" he demanded.

"Magic. I have every right to insult you, man." She spat the word as an insult. Mina was just kidding herself. There was nothing to get through to. She felt her breath hitch again in her chest as emotion engulfed her again.

Black power slid into Kunzite's gloved hand. A slight twitch could be seen near his eye. "You are finished here."

"Kunzite, wait," Mina cried suddenly. The fire in his hand faded at the strange note in her voice. He could hear that she was distraught, even if he no longer registered feelings beyond anger.

Mina took two steps forward to close the distance between them. Throwing her arms around her neck, she pulled his head down roughly and pressed her lips to his. She felt his arms come quickly about her waist as he returned her kiss with force. She had longed to hold him for so long, and she had no doubt of the pleasurable outcome of this encounter would be. He hardly cared for a human girl's feelings about relationships.

The general pulled away suddenly. His eyes held several emotions, Mina noted, a genuine grin gracing her face. It was not progress, but at least he could feel lust and confusion. His eyes were focused past her. "You must go," he murmured, pushing her towards the darkness she had appeared in.

Mina moved into the darkness before spinning to see why he had done this. Zoicite appeared next to Kunzite. He sighed before putting his arms around Kunzite's waist. Mina let her power remove her from the Dark Kingdom before she could see anything else.

"They never showed the slightest inclination towards each other in the past," she mused. "Except the time Zoicite was drunk." She smiled a real smile again.

The Juuban shopping district materialized around Mina. Her unusual happiness left her. She had jeopardized herself and all of the senshi with that meeting. If Kunzite cared nothing for her, why had he not killed her outright? He had pushed her away before Zoicite could find them. This had raised more questions than answers and solved none of her problems. Her feelings for Kunzite were hardly dissolved by kissing him.

Mina sighed and began trudging away. She had to put a stop to her unrequited love. She could not watch Kunzite from a distance, waiting for the opportune moment to jump him. He could not return her feelings; he had no heart left. She had desperately wanted for him to take her, consequences be damned. That, she realized, couldn't happen. The other senshi and her princess were more important that an old, disloyal love interest, even if she would always love him. She could not hurt people she loved to get someone who did not love her. Still, the memory of his lips on hers surfaced. She remembered how many similar encounters they had in the Silver Millennium.

Sighing loudly, Mina forced Kunzite from her mind and switched her mind to thinking of a way to keep her from doing something so stupid again. She had to build herself against the feelings she had for him so that she wouldn't remember loving him every time she tried to fight him. He was the enemy. Mina's eyes widened at an unexpected thought. She tilted her head to the side. Love someone else, her mind told her. "It might work," she thought.

Andrew turned the key in the door as he finished locking up the Crown. All of the metal shutters were pulled over the windows and the door locked tight. It was time for him to head home. He turned and had to stop himself to not step on the girl standing there. "Mina," he said with surprise. He hadn't expected to see her for several days after she ran out.

"Andrew," she began. "There's something very important I have to tell you." He looked at her expectantly. "Not here," she said emphatically.

"All right," he agreed frowning. He led her around the back and unlocked a side door. They stepped into a small store room, and Andrew turned on the lights and closed the door. "What is it?"

Mina considered Andrew for a few moments. She remembered how kind and polite he was. She took in his fair features and smiled slightly at him. "I-" she began, unsure of what to say. How do you tell someone that you have to fall in love with them? Taking a deep breath, she kissed him. Impatiently, she forced down the feeling that she was betraying Kunzite; he had betrayed her. She started to wonder if Andrew was going to be angry at her, but then he started to respond. She forced herself to think only of Andrew and enjoy the feelings that his lips on hers created.

Andrew pulled away and looked down at her with confusion. He watched as her eyes flicked around nervously. "Is that what you wanted to tell me, Mina?" he questioned.

Mina looked up into his caring, sincere green eyes. "No, I wanted to tell you that I am Sailor Venus, and I had my heart broken in a past life. I'm only kissing you to make myself forget," she wanted to say, but she didn't say any of it. "Yes," she replied simply. She hugged him and buried her face in his shirt to hide the stubborn tears that formed in her eyes. She didn't want to hurt Andrew the way she had been hurt.

Andrew forced her chin to tilt up so that she would look at him. He brushed away her tears gently. "Sorry, Mina, I don't know why you're crying." She shook her head, her eyes looking down. She couldn't stand the earnest look his eyes held. "I won't hurt you," he stated.

Mina forced her eyes back to his. She knew that he meant it, but she wished he didn't. She still felt the strange sense that she was betraying Kunzite. She wished that Andrew wouldn't really care for her so that she would never hurt him. She knew what it felt like to be brokenhearted at loving someone more than they would ever love you. She never wanted Andrew to feel it. She couldn't let him get hurt. "I won't hurt you either, Andrew," she whispered, her eyes staring into his. He smiled at her. "I will love you," she promised him mentally. "I will love you and only you. Someday."


End file.
